21 October 2015
4 questions with Lani Teddy, Melanoma Institute Australia Research Project Manager who was a driving force in the team to create the new information packs Your Guide to Early Melanoma.
What is “Your Guide to Early Melanoma” and how will it help patients?
People’s need for information following a melanoma diagnosis varies a great deal. When people have questions, whether about melanoma generally or specifically about their diagnosis, treatment, or follow-up care, they often don’t know where to turn or what information to trust. “Your Guide to Early Melanoma” is a dedicated information resource for people diagnosed with Stage I or II melanoma.
How long did the project take and who was involved?
A number of health professionals, a GP, surgeons, dermatologists and clinical nurse consultants provided content and feedback. We were fortunate that a group of ten volunteers (patients, carers and family members) also thoroughly critiqued an early version of this resource. People who have been through the experience of a melanoma diagnosis have thought about the types of questions they had when first diagnosed, what information they have gone looking for since and provided suggestions not only on the content, but also more broadly on how the resource should look and ideas about how this should be distributed. And of course we are very grateful to have the support of Neutrogena, without which this work may not have happened. The resource took about 8 months to produce from first draft to printing.
It is believed that patient support is a missing resource. How are the support packs addressing a support and information need?
There is a lot of variability in the types of information and support that people are after. Some people want to know about support groups, some people want to see pictures of melanoma, others want to understand the way melanoma is staged and have questions about nutrition, sunscreen, Vitamin D, prognosis, genetics, what happens at follow-up…the list goes on. Some people want to know everything up front, others only want to know what is relevant right now, and may have questions later on. While the information and support packs won’t provide all the answers, they are a good starting point and provide a lot of references if people want more in-depth information. It is also something that can be shared with family and friends if they have questions about melanoma.
What is psychosocial care and why is it so important for patients?
Psychosocial and supportive care is about recognising and responding to the numerous ways that people are affected by a cancer diagnosis. The provision of information that is easy to access and easy to understand is one part of the much broader scope for supporting patients and families through diagnosis and treatment. Patients (and their families) require a holistic approach to treatment, which therefore includes addressing psychological, social, dietary and physical issues as well as excellent medical care.
Melanoma Patients Australia Symposium - Webinar 2
Join us at the 2nd Melanoma Patients Australia webinar 'Psychological Health & Wellbeing'.
City2Surf 2020
You're invited to be a C2S charity superstar, and together we can run over melanoma!
City2Surf 2020
Join in the fun of the virtual event, and together we can run over melanoma!
Top melanoma experts from MIA
Melanoma Institute Australia features prominently in the latest ‘Expertise in Melanoma’ world rankings, released by Expertscape.
Melanoma Supportive Care Needs research study.
Participate in our online survey and help us understand the support needs of melanoma patients and carers.
New data reveals long-term benefit of adjuvant therapy for Stage III melanoma.
New online melanoma risk calculators critical to saving lives
Clinicians and their patients now have access to three online risk calculators developed by researchers at Melanoma Institute Australia.
Professor Richard Scolyer receives University of Sydney Alumni Award.
MIA's Co-Medical Director Professor Richard Scolyer has received The University of Sydney Alumni Award for International Achievement.
Uniting together despite the distance
More than 120 MIA clinicians, researchers and staff came together online to share research highlights.
Professor Richard Scolyer recognised in The Pathologist's 2020 Power List.
For the 2nd consecutive year, MIA's Co-Medical Director Professor Richard Scolyer has been selected in the top 100 best, brightest, and most powerful advocates of pathology by The Pathologist.
Important Update: Masks required at Poche Centre
As of Monday 27th July all patients and carers/family members coming into The Poche Centre will be required to bring their own mask.
A Critical Nexus:The Clinician and the Researcher.
In a recent issue of Cancer Cell journal, Prof Georgina Long AO and Prof Richard Scolyer discuss the challenge of bringing together clinical work and scientific research to underpin successful cancer research.
New online calculator launched to determine risk of spread of melanoma
Clinicians around the world now have access to a new online calculator that predicts the risk that a patient’s primary melanoma has spread to nearby lymph nodes.
Queen's Birthday Honour for Professor Georgina Long
Professor Long has been appointed as an Officer (AO) of the Order of Australia (General Division) for distinguished service to medicine, particularly, to melanoma clinical and translational research, and to professional medical societies.
Danny's inspiring survival story
“I had a complete response within about six months. All of my tumours disappeared."
MIA in the spotlight at ASCO virtual conference
‘We are extremely proud of our ongoing contribution to the global effort to save lives from melanoma, with Dr Silva’s prestigious award proof that we continue to lead the way,'
Professor Richard Scolyer achieves h-index of 100
MIA's Co-Medical Director, Professor Richard Scolyer, has achieved a Google Scholar h-index of 100.
See how we connected at Melanoma March Virtual 2020
We know what Melanoma March means to our community, so when we had to cancel our physical events, we created Melanoma March Virtual so that everyone across Australia could still connect to honour loved ones and support each other.
Melanoma meets its match.
A must-read personal account by Garry Maddox in The Sydney Morning Herald of how immunotherapy is revolutionising melanoma treatment.
Next Steps for National Screening Program for Melanoma
On Friday, a publication that lays out the steps needed to find out if a systematic screening program for melanoma would benefit all Australians was published in the Australia & New Zealand Journal of Public Health.